Cleaner for swimming pool floors



Jan. 22, 1963 E. J. DRENNAN 3,074,087

CLEANER FOR SWIMMING POOL FLOORS Filed April 25, 1960 J Mfg? I l I INVENTOR. 5M/L J @Q5/WAN BY JMW United States Patent lltice 3,74,37 Patented dan. 22, 1963 3,074,0S7 CLEANER FOR SWIMMING P091. FLURS Emil J. Drenuan, 324 New Ave., Anaheim, Calif. Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 24,359 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-1.7)

This invention -relates to a cleaner for the floors of swimming pools, the same contemplating removal of dust, dirt and other `accumulations by suction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pool cleaner that applies its suction with a minimum of disturbance, thereby assuring eiicient removal of dirt because of minimal scattering thereof during propulsion of the cleaner along a pool bottom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pool cleaner vacuum head that has a low silhouette that causes minimum disturbance during movement along a pool floor and yet efficiently removes dirt within the area covered by the head during operative movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaner head of the character above referred to that is wheelborne, the wheels serving also -as bumpers and are so proportioned as to extend above the low top of the vacuum head to create disturbances, if any, considerably above the head, thereby not affecting the smoothness or calmness of the water entering the head.

rThis invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construc- -tion and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which Will more fully appear in the course of the following description, and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in lthe several views.

FIG. l is a top plan view of vacuum cleaner for swimming pool floor, the same embodying a preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view thereof.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views as t-aken on the respective lines 3-3, 4 4 and 5-5 of FIG. l.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a modification.

The present vacuum cleaner comprises, generally, a rectangular head 10, a set of traction wheels 11 on which said head is carried in spaced relation above the surface 12 of a swimming pool, means 13 partly enclosing the wheels 11 to minimize the disturbance that may be caused by said wheels as the same move over the pool surface 12, a suction outlet 14, to a hose 15, from the head 1), and a handle 16 for propelling the cleaner along the floor 12 and also serving as means to restore the head to a level position from a tilted position.

The head is advantageously made of a heavy metal, of which brass is an example, thereby minimizing any tendency of the head to seek a tilted position, as when water beneath the head seeks to buoy up and tilt the same. In FIGS. l to 5, the head is shown as having a rectangular top plate 17 that, by means of front and back ribs 1S, end ribs 19, and central ribs 20, denes an interior chamber 21 that has the centrally disposed outlet port 22 through the plate 17.

In the ribs 18, are provided elongated openings 23 which extend downwardly through the plate 17, the same being preferably located adjacent the ends of the plate in symmetrical arrangement with relation to the outlet port 22. Beyond the ends 24 of the plate 17 there are provided loop-like extensions 25 that enclose elongated openings 26 similar to openings 23 except that the openings 23 are longitudinally arranged and the openings 26 transversely arranged.

The wheels 11 are so disposed and of such size that the same space the under surfaces of the ribs 1S, 19 land 2d and extension 25 slightly above the pool floor 12, enabling the head 10 to move over said floor with minimum agitation of particles of dirt on' the floor. F[the spaces between edges 18 and the floor are made to be less than the sum of the tareas of openings 23 and 26. Thus, section effective in the outlet 22 sucks more water downward through said openings than is `drawn past the peripheral edges of the head. The water from the openings 23 enters the restricted space beneath the ribs 1S and is drawn from said space into the chamber 21. Thus, there is a restriction beneath the ribs that imparts a particle-loosening force to the water that is quite effective to clean the pool floor 12 as the head is moved thereover on the wheels 11. This is true also of the Water that enters the openings 26 in a downward direction, since this water is rest-ricted by the ribs 19 and cleans lbeneath the lribs for the reasons above.

The wheels 11 are preferably made of soft rubber and are larger diametrally than the height of the head, therefore, extending substantially above the top surface of the head, as can be seen lfrom the drawing. Said wheles have axles 27 that are vertically adjustable in vertical slots 28 in hoods 29 that extend over the upper portions of the Wheels and, while `spaced therefrom, closely conform to the contour of the wheels. Said hoods comprise the means 13.

The axles 27 are above the top of the head 10, the latter, thereby, having the mentioned low-lying position and -the top portions of the wheels and hoods substantially above the top of the head.

The wheels 11 are arranged, two on each end of the head with the wheels at each end in tandem relation. Thus, the water-disturbing front of the wheel is reduced to an area presented by the front wheel at each end, depending, of course, on the direction the head is moved. In any case, the elevated portions of the wheels and hoods are substantially above the top of the low-lying head so that the turbulence caused thereby is not effective on such flow that enters chamber 21 under the head.

It will be realized that the space between the head and the pool floor may be regulated by suitable adjustment of the wheels. In any case, a space 30 is left between the wheels and the hoods 29 so that wheel-disturbed water is confined within these spaces.

The ow through outlet port 22 is received in the outlet 14 which is here shown as a swivel-mounted fitting 311 that is carried by bearing lugs 32 extending upwardly from the head 10 on both ends of outlet port 22. Trunnions 33 mount the tting 31 in said lugs 32 on a longitudinal axis whereby said fitting is freely swingable from one side to the other of the head. Said fitting 31 is hollow and in the shape of a T, the same having an inlet port 34 that, in all positions of the fitting, is open to the outlet port 22. It will be realized that a exible suction hose l5 on the end of said tting will carry particle-laden water from the fitting to a place where the Water may be filtered or otherwise cleaned and then returned to .the pool.

Since the fitting 31 is freely swivelable on the trunnions 33, the same oers but little resistance to back and forth movement of the head in a cleaning operation since the same may it to one side or the other accordingly. There may be instances when the head may seek aereos? 3 to tilt off a floor-engaging position. In such case, especially when the head tilts when vbeing pulled rather than pushed, the handle 16 may be used to return the head to hat operating position.

The handle i6 is formed to have hooks 3S that engage over trunnions 33, which are elongated for that purpose, and abutment edges 36 that are adapted to engage the top face of the head plate 17. Since the handle stick 37 is arranged to extend at an upward angle from said abutment edges 3e, itis a simple matter to bear down on said stick to cause said edges 36 to retilt the head back to operative position should the same become tilted, as above mentioned.

The handle 16 is removable from the head 10, the hooks 35 being shown with open slots 33 that allow separation of head and handle by rst suitably swinging the handle to engage the hooks and then swinging the handle relative to the head to insure non-separable engagement until separation is desired.

The modilication of FIG. 6 shows the head 16 with the chamber 21 omitted. This brings the entire under surface of the head plate `lt7a to the level of the lower surfaces of the ribs 1S, 19 and 20. This arrangement also minimizes flow into the head from the front and rear edges, the same obtaining most of the ow from the openings 23, as 'before described.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention tothe particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A pool cleaner for cleaning surfaces of a pool beneath the surface of the water therein, comprising a rectangular head having down-reaching marginal ribs that define a bottom-open chamber, a set of wheels, two at each end of the head, supporting the head with the lower faces .of said ribs in spaced proximity to the support surface,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 742,880 Lotz Nov. 3, 1903 2,141,811 Everson Dec. 27, 1938 2,283,428 Ellis May 19, 1942 2,785,432 Rockwell Mar. 19, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,039,738 Germany Sept. 25, 1958 

